In Vietnam, nearly 40 people die each day in traffic accidents and twice that number suffer debilitating head injury. This is a result of rapid motorization and modernization, where people have the ability to trade bicycles for motorbikes, creating a highly mobile population. Unfortunately, preventative safety measures have not accompanied this increased motorization. Limited traffic safety education, lack of awareness about the effectiveness of helmet use, and inconsistent traffic legislation and enforcement have contributed to annual death tolls of over 12,000 people in Vietnam. In addition, approximately 30,000 more suffer from severe brain damage or head trauma sustained in traffic accidents.
Asia Injury advocates policy change on helmet use and has initiated a number of successful programs to halt the growing traffic safety crisis in Vietnam. Asia Injury established Protec, the world’s first nonprofit helmet manufacturer that produces high quality, affordable helmets designed specifically for South Asian riders and to supply Helmets for Kids, which has distributed over 150,000 helmets to primary school children throughout Vietnam.
